Post by wayne on Sept 24, 2003 8:58:57 GMT -5
Continuing with the "mental Actions" theme I seem to be on, here's one that, played properly, can be great... played poorly, it will just waste stones for you.
MIND GAMES
Cost = Action Number
Description
Does your character have a way of getting under his opponent's skin? Does he intimidate his foes to throw their game off? Then this is an excellent choice for him.
Mind Games represents using verbal and/or physical taunts, threats, gestures, etc. to get into an opponent's head. Spend stones against the opponent's mental defenses (splitting the stones for multiple targets.) Any "damage" indicates success; the duration is measured in stones of "damage", according to the D&R Chart.
If successful, your opponent receives a -1 Situational Modifier to ALL Actions, including mental (and yes, including mental defenses.) You can then use other attacks to take advantage of the situation, or you can use this Action again to try to increase the duration of the effect by doing more "damage" this time (otherwise, duration remains the same as before.) This can be done for as long as you can keep putting stones into the Action, although unless you beat your opponently badly, most will be over the psyche-out after combat ends, regardless of how long they're supposed to be intimidated (GM discretion.)
Your opponent, however, is not entirely at your mercy... if he performs any Action successfully while psyched out, he lowers the duration that he is handicapped by 1 stone (so that if he was supposed to be psyched out for 4 stones--a few hours--the time drops to 3 stones--1 hour.) If he successfully performs an Action that *you* oppose, he is no longer psyched out and returns to normal. Note that this Action cannot be associated with an Innate Talent.
Options
Comments
While this power can really get a player down somewhat, it only does so if you can bypass his mental defenses... and only lasts until he succeeds in enough Actions (preferably not against you!) It can be a great way of setting up your other attacks, however.
Rules for Action Box:
Example
Bluff Boy is a blowhard (INT: 5, STR: 1, AGI: 2, SPD: 2, DUR: 2, Energy: 10i, Close Combat: 1 w/ STR Bonus) whose mouth has gotten him into trouble. He's facing off against a thug who he thinks can probably beat him up without much trouble.
Bluff Boy, however, has Mind Games at level 7 (no options.) He applies 5 stones; since the thug only has an INT of 2, and no other mental defenses, 3 stones get through. The thug is taken aback for a second, and receives a -1 to all his Actions for the next hour. It's at this point that Bluff Boy decides to run (an act that the thug will probably let happen now, despite his STR: 3 and Close Combat of 5 with a STR Bonus!) Had Bluff Boy decided to fight it out at this point, even with the -1 modifier the thug would still be able to throw 7-stone attacks, which Bluff Boy would not be able to stop... and after the thug made that first hit, it would have been all over.
MIND GAMES
Cost = Action Number
Description
Does your character have a way of getting under his opponent's skin? Does he intimidate his foes to throw their game off? Then this is an excellent choice for him.
Mind Games represents using verbal and/or physical taunts, threats, gestures, etc. to get into an opponent's head. Spend stones against the opponent's mental defenses (splitting the stones for multiple targets.) Any "damage" indicates success; the duration is measured in stones of "damage", according to the D&R Chart.
If successful, your opponent receives a -1 Situational Modifier to ALL Actions, including mental (and yes, including mental defenses.) You can then use other attacks to take advantage of the situation, or you can use this Action again to try to increase the duration of the effect by doing more "damage" this time (otherwise, duration remains the same as before.) This can be done for as long as you can keep putting stones into the Action, although unless you beat your opponently badly, most will be over the psyche-out after combat ends, regardless of how long they're supposed to be intimidated (GM discretion.)
Your opponent, however, is not entirely at your mercy... if he performs any Action successfully while psyched out, he lowers the duration that he is handicapped by 1 stone (so that if he was supposed to be psyched out for 4 stones--a few hours--the time drops to 3 stones--1 hour.) If he successfully performs an Action that *you* oppose, he is no longer psyched out and returns to normal. Note that this Action cannot be associated with an Innate Talent.
Options
- +3 to Cost Level to give this power a "Group Effect", and target all characters in a given group without having to split your stones. If you choose this option and only use this Action against a single target, you get a +1 Sit. Mod. Note however, that if you're targeting a 4-person group, they will likely each receive a +1 Sit. Mod.; if an 8-person group, they each can receive a +2 Mod.; if 16 people, +3, and so on.
- +2 to Cost Level for an Intelligence Bonus.
- +4 to Cost Level to be able to accumulate negative Situational Modifiers on a target, up to -3, over several successful uses of this Action.
Comments
While this power can really get a player down somewhat, it only does so if you can bypass his mental defenses... and only lasts until he succeeds in enough Actions (preferably not against you!) It can be a great way of setting up your other attacks, however.
Rules for Action Box:
- Spend stones vs. Mental Defenses
- Range = 3
- "Damage" = duration of effect
- Opponent is -1 to all Actions (including mental) if successful
- Can repeat against the same target to improve duration
- Opponent's successful Actions lower duration by 1 stone each
- Opponent's successful Actions against you remove effect entirely.
Example
Bluff Boy is a blowhard (INT: 5, STR: 1, AGI: 2, SPD: 2, DUR: 2, Energy: 10i, Close Combat: 1 w/ STR Bonus) whose mouth has gotten him into trouble. He's facing off against a thug who he thinks can probably beat him up without much trouble.
Bluff Boy, however, has Mind Games at level 7 (no options.) He applies 5 stones; since the thug only has an INT of 2, and no other mental defenses, 3 stones get through. The thug is taken aback for a second, and receives a -1 to all his Actions for the next hour. It's at this point that Bluff Boy decides to run (an act that the thug will probably let happen now, despite his STR: 3 and Close Combat of 5 with a STR Bonus!) Had Bluff Boy decided to fight it out at this point, even with the -1 modifier the thug would still be able to throw 7-stone attacks, which Bluff Boy would not be able to stop... and after the thug made that first hit, it would have been all over.